MUHLENBERG COUNTY, Ky. (1/4/14) ― One of Muhlenberg's native sons ― Phil Everly ― has died. He was 74.

Singer Phil Everly was half of the duo ― the Everly Brothers ― along with brother Don Everly, whose influence on music spans decades.

The two brought pitch-perfect harmony to the music scene as rock 'n roll was born. Their influence helped form the blueprint for 1950s and 1960s rock.

In 1986, they were inducted to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, which was the same year they had a hit pop-country record, “Born Yesterday.”

They began singing country music in 1945 on their family's radio show in Shenandoah, Iowa. They moved to Nashville in the 1950s and signed a recording contract with Cadence Records, based in New York.

The duo broke up for several years but reunited as they began hosting the Everly Brothers Homecoming Concerts in Central City in 1988. The Everly Brothers Foundation donated land for the Madisonville Community College Muhlenberg County Campus to be built in Central City.

Phil Everly, who was born Jan. 19, 1939, died in Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 3, due to complications from cardio pulmonary disease caused by smoking, according to reports from CNN News.